Monday, June 21, 2010

Summertime and the living is easy.It's hard to sit down and get serious when you feel lazy. In fact, it's hard to get into gear and do anything when the living is easy and the sun is warm and everything is green and lush. Sorry about that, but my mind has apparently been taking a summer vacation for a bit and didn't feel like putting serious thoughts onto paper. It isn't like the world has stopped being mean and nasty while I've had my hiatus. The oil continues to spout and the senate continues to stall and the world continues to pile up debt while the rest of us try to eke out a meaningful life. Sometimes it's hard to see the big picture and maintain our sense of right and wrong.

I need to stop watching and reading the news. All I see is the BAD news. I need the GOOD news. Even the cartoons can get a bit vitriolic at times. I just need to lay back on the wet grass and feel the summer breeze blow over me and watch the puffy white clouds form into whimsical shapes. It's good to ignore the rest of the world at times and just to BE in your immediate surrounding world. If I good reach inside my mind and attain the peace and quiet of a long forgotten summer day when I was young and less aware, I could relax and be happy once more.

Sometimes I wake up with that peaceful feeling, listening to the morning quiet before the bright sunshine has stirred the rest of the world into its hectic pace. It's a contemplative time when all things are possible and life is good. I haven't shaped my thoughts or made plans yet and have no immediate goals except to lie there and slowly awaken. All my limbs seem restful and supported and my brow is uncreased with no worries. My mind is content to just be there with no pressure and no direction. On those mornings, I will try to gradually focus my mind on one fact – that it's going to be a great day and I have no pains and no worries and only feel joy. It helps to start the day off that way.

Summertime really is vacation time. You don't have to multitask and you can put off those plans until tomorrow because tomorrow will be another bright and beautiful day, just like today.

Stay happy and healthy and enjoy the day. This day will never repeat. It happens only once in your lifetime.Make a memory of today.

Saturday, June 05, 2010

con·ser·va·tivea. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.b : the tendency to prefer an existing or traditional situation to change

lib·er·al a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.

Maintaining the status quo just for the sake of resisting change doesn't appeal to me when we find ourselves in trouble. I'm all for trying to find new solutions for problems that are overwhelming us and leading us to the brink of disaster. Sometimes tried and true past solutions will not solve modern problems and new solutions are required. The world is constantly changing and the transfer of information and data is accelerating as we watch. Solutions that worked in the old days may lag far behind the creation of new problems these days.

I believe that we should be open to progress and change but be watchful and careful at the same time. I am indeed a liberal because of that belief. I don't begrudge those who are conservative and oppose change, because we all are entitled to our opinions. But, when those who oppose change without true reasoning stand in the way of solving modern problems, I feel they are out of step with needed progress and actually impede solutions to critical problems. Some folks are negative without reason or thought and will not listen to logical arguments nor present their opposing argument. They are belligerent and negative and resistant to any change. These are the conservatives I have much trouble understanding.

I always thought that change for the better was GOOD and progress was what life should be about.

Our country was founded by liberals who wanted to change the status quo and started a revolution in 1776. Since then we have had much progress and much change. Why stop now? Let's keep looking for better answers.

It really bothered me to have that front tooth missing, but I had to wait until the gum healed where the tooth had been pulled before getting anything done. I didn't realize how often I smiled. It's hard to smile with your lips closed. I didn't want to frighten little children or scare other people away because of my scary toothless countenance. But now I have my smile back and I'm not nearly so self-conscious. Life is good again. Now if I can get the pain in my back to subside, it will be perfect.

It could be worse. Today I am going to a memorial service for one of my high school chums. Dick was the star athlete in our class = good at all sports and great at some. He ended up being a professional baseball player. Now he is gone and I remember his cheery and carefree attitude with a smile. He was one of those natural athletes who just took life in its strides and excelled in all sporting endeavors he tried. It's sad to see fellow travelers drop out of our journey though life. I suppose that this will happen more often as life goes along. Memories are good and may be the only surviving elements of all our lives. I'll try to leave good memories behind and enjoy the moments that I have left - especially now that I can smile again.